John 2 1-11 2007
Epiphany 2
John 2:1-11
January 14, 2007
“Signs of the Savior”
Introduction: We are inundated with signs today. For example, the distance from here to Milwaukee is around 50 miles. On that trip we can see green signs and red signs, enticing signs and warning signs, signs to direct and signs to amuse, signs that attract and signs that bore. Some of these signs we heed, but most we ignore. In John’s gospel today we have a new kind of sign that compels and directs us in ways no ordinary sign can. St. John begins making the connection between this man Jesus, to the Son of God, the Savior of all people. In our Gospel lesson John gives us the first of seven miracles, or as he calls them, signs. These signs eventually lead us to see Jesus crucified dead and buried, and then on the third day rise from the dead. For those people that follow and believe in these signs, and ultimately believe in Jesus Christ, these signs lead to eternal life. As we follow Jesus Christ our Savior, He ushers in the New Age, New Creation and the wedding feast that never ends.
The first sign that John gives us is in the context of a wedding. A person’s wedding is one of the three most significant days in his or her life. The first is birth and the last is death, but somewhere in the middle, for many people, there is marriage. Of the three, it is the only one that we can remember. It is significant that Jesus earthly ministry begins at a wedding. Maybe this makes sense as God also attaches tremendous importance to marriage. The created world began with marriage, and it will end with marriage. Genesis begins with the wedding of Adam and Eve, and Revelation ends with the great wedding feast of Jesus Christ and His bride.
In the scripture lesson for our meditation we see that Jesus, His mother, and His disciples were all invited to a wedding party. It was close to His home town of Capernaum so the bride and groom were probably personal friends of the family. After all Mary, our Lord’s mother is working behind the scenes with the servants and she shares there concern over a major problem - the host, that is the bridegroom has run out of wine. This may seem of small consequence to us today since our wedding parties do not last that long. However, in the time of our Lord’s incarnation, a wedding party was an elaborate affair that lasted for many days. Unger’s Bible Dictionary describes the celebration in this manner. In the evening, after putting on a festive dress, placing a garland on his head, the bridegroom set forth from his house, attended by his groomsmen, preceded by a band of musicians or singers, and accompanied by persons bearing lamps. Having reached the house of the bride, who with her companions anxiously expected his arrival, he conducted the whole party back to his own or his father’s house, with every demonstration of gladness. On their way back they were joined by a party of young girls (virgins), friends of the bride and bridegroom, who were waiting to join the procession as it passed. The inhabitants of the community pressed out into the streets to watch the procession. At the house a feast was prepared, to which all the friends and neighbors were invited, and the festivities lasted for seven to fourteen days. The guests were provided by the host with wedding clothes, and the feast was enlivened with riddles and other amusements. The bridegroom then entered into direct communication with the bride, and the "friend of the bridegroom ... rejoices greatly" at hearing the voice of the bridegroom conversing with her, which he regarded as a satisfactory testimony of the success of his share in the work. The last act in the ceremony was the conducting of the bride to the bridal chamber, where a canopy, named a huppa, was prepared.
As you can see, the wedding ceremony lasted fro many days. Consequently, the lack of food , wine and other amenities was of great importance. Mary, noticed that there was a problem…the wine had completely run out
Jesus mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” Jesus replies, “Dear woman, why do you involve me” or “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come. To this Mary says, to the servants that were attending the wedding, “Do whatever He tells you.”
The first word of Jesus’ reply is quite curious. He calls Mary, "Woman". He does not call her mother. The word that He uses here for her is neither disrespectful nor endearing. It is the same word that He uses when he talks to the sinful woman at the well. From this we can see that Jesus’ relationship to His mother has changed. He who Luke describes as subject to His mother and father (2:49) is subject to them no longer. Mary had been, in a way, the lord of the Lord of Heaven and Earth (she had authority over Him). But as her Son Jesus enters into His ministry He is Lord of all. Though HE comes to serve He is still Lord and all people are sinners in need of a Savior. As He comes to save, He also comes to save Mary too. So, instead of "Mother" she becomes "Woman". In fact, for the rest of their recorded conversations in the Gospel of John, He continues to address her in this way. Even when He is dying on the cross and tenderly assigns John the task of taking care of her, He calls her "Woman". Like us, she must humble herself and take her place with the rest of creation under Him. She, too, is sinful and needs a savior.
The rest of Jesus’ reply to His mother is quite distressing. "what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour is not yet come. Is Jesus being rude to His mother? No! He knows that all the decisions regarding the Salvation of mankind are His to make and His alone. But I too can sympathize with Mary. How often do parents, knowing the capabilities and promise that their children’s talents contain, wait with baited breath for them to reach there full potential? How often do we as parent want our children to do something, but have to wait. My mother, watched with distress as I was reluctant to enter into the world of dating and of girls. She told me, a turtle never gets anywhere unless it sticks its neck out of its shell. Ah yes mother, I replied, but when it sticks its neck out of the shell it is more likely to get it’s head cut off. That probably wasn’t nice of me to say to my mother, but the truth of the matter was that the decision to date had to be mine. How much more for our Lord, not to date girl’s that is, but to reveal Himself to be the Savior. Such a revelation, he knew, would eventually lead Him to be crucified on a cross.
As you know, Jesus in His own time orders the water pots to be filled with water and He transformed them into wine. This is a miracle, but it is more than just a miracle. It is, as John calls it, a sign. It is a sign and miracle with a message. One man, speaking about this text, had these words to say:
Many Old Testament prophecies about the Messianic age talk about a time when wine would flow liberally. In Isaiah 55:1 the prophet declares “everyone who thirst come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price”. He talks about a time when everyone shall see the glory of the Lord and this is repeated by Amos in the words “the time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who ploughs shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit”. So Jesus’ miracle is in a sense an announcement of the coming of the Messianic age. It is also significant that the responsibility for providing the wine belonged to the bridegroom and Christ is the bridegroom announcing the birth of the Messianic age. Jesus used the occasion of the wine shortage to reveal God’s plan of salvation and redemption to the world.[i] Mary, the disciples of Jesus and the servants who knew what happened were witnesses of the birth of this new age.
Perhaps there is even more meaning that John wants us to see in this sign of the water being turned into wine. You see, the water pots were part of the fulfillment of the Jewish law of cleansing. There were many laws, both divine and man-made, about ceremonial purifications. These pots were in essence big wash basins. They contained 180 gallons of wash water. These wash pots may have stood for all the Old Testament Laws that demanded cleanliness, but could not provide it. The water for purification could wash away dirt but not sin. The wine foreshadowed Jesus Christ’s blood. What the law could not do, He would do with His own blood.
Jesus transforms the water into wine. It is not a trick or a show, a stunt to marvel the crowds, matter of fact only a few people even noticed. This sign was done for there benefit. By His authority Jesus Christ had called His disciples to follow Him. Then He, in a very subtle yet substantial way, reveals that He is who He says He is. The result, as we see in verse 11, was "His disciples believed in Him." That is the greatest effect of this sign. It accomplished that which God set out for it to do - His disciples believed. What God did for them, He also does for us.
Are you greater than Jesus’ disciples? Is your faith stronger than theirs? It’s not? If they needed this boost then surely we do, too. Our God makes Himself known in things we can see and handle just as He did for the disciples? What is it that can strengthen our faith so that we believe in God’s goodness and His desire and commitment to rescue us? Our Lord doesn’t turn water into wine anymore, He does something even more fantastic, He turns wine and bread into His very blood and body shed and given on the cross in sacrifice for our sins. Yes it is true that the elements of bread and wine are still maintained, but they do not offer us forgiveness of sins and eternal life, these come through Jesus Christ alone. As we faithfully receive these gifts our God will strengthen our faith. These to are signs that point to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Today, Jesus is again reveals as the Savior of the world. This year we will continue to follow the signs that are given to us in God’s Word. As we witness again what the holy writers saw with there very own eyes we will remember what the Apostle John wrote, what we sang earlier, “These things are written that you shall believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Alleluia, praise to our God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
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[i] William Beata